Various automatic or semi-automatic firearms are known. Typically such firearms include numerous moving parts and parts that require close-tolerance machining to produce. The complexity of many such firearms can adversely affect their reliability and durability, making disassembly and cleaning difficult and time consuming, and result in high costs of production. Many such firearms also suffer from disadvantages in terms of accuracy due to their barrels moving during operation, and external moving parts can create pinch points or other user safety issues.
Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for continuing improvement in firearm design. It is to the provision of a gas-operated automatic firearm meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.